UNF professor examines how supporting educators can help students succeed

For Dr. Raven Robinson-Wilson, education has always been personal. The daughter of two teachers, she grew up surrounded by educators and knew from an early age that she wanted to become one herself.

But her experience in the classroom led her to look beyond her own teaching practice and ask broader questions: What helps teachers become confident and effective educators? How do their beliefs and motivations shape the way they teach? And how can teacher preparation better support educators and the students they serve?

Today, Robinson-Wilson explores those questions as an assistant professor of teacher education, foundations and clinical practice at the University of North Florida and program director and advisor for the M.Ed. in Elementary Education.

Her research sits at the intersection of teacher education and educational psychology, examining how educators learn, what motivates them and how their beliefs and practices can shape student’s experiences in the classroom.

“My experiences as a classroom teacher led to curiosity focused on understanding and supporting educators as they learn, reflect and work toward high-quality teaching and student success,” Robinson-Wilson said.

Much of Robinson-Wilson’s recent work focuses on the conditions that help teachers develop the skills, confidence and motivation they need to create meaningful learning experiences. Her research includes:

• Teacher motivation and professional learning: examining how educators’ beliefs and motivation influence their teaching and professional development.

• Equity in education: exploring teacher-student relationships and how teachers’ beliefs and practices can shape students’ educational experiences.

• STEM education: Studying how professional learning can help teachers create more equitable STEM learning opportunities.

• Teacher preparation: Investigating ways to strengthen clinical experiences for future educators at UNF.

Her scholarship has appeared in Action in Teacher Education and School Science and Mathematics, among other scholarly publications, and she has contributed chapters to two major reference works on educational psychology and teacher education.

At UNF, Robinson-Wilson is putting that research into practice through her work to strengthen teacher preparation. She recently received a UNF Silverfield College of Education and Human Services Faculty Seed Grant for her project, “Retaining and Sustaining High-Quality Clinical Placements,” which focuses on strengthening the experiences that prepare future teachers for the classroom.

Her scholarship was also recognized with the 2026 Journal Impact Award for Most Journal Publications from the UNF Silverfield College of Education and Human Services Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum. She currently serves as chair-elect/program chair for the American Educational Research Association’s Teaching Educational Psychology Special Interest Group.

For Robinson-Wilson, research and teaching are closely connected. She sees scholarship as a way to continually learn, reflect and collaborate while responding to the needs of educators and students.

“When conducting research, I honor teaching as a complex, theoretically informed process to improve student outcomes,” Robinson-Wilson said.

Through her research and work with future educators, Robinson-Wilson hopes to help build professional learning experiences that prepare teachers to grow throughout their careers and create classrooms where more students have the opportunity to thrive.

“My goal is to contribute more meaningful professional learning experiences that support educators and students for a better world,” Robinson-Wilson said.